Green and Gold
by Kelira Telian
Summary: One morning in Chaldea, Saber Alter asks Nero, 'do you truly love me?


Eyelids fluttered open, a reaction to the light streaming in through the half-opened drapes. Bright yellow eyes focused, finding the figure just inches away. Golden yellow hair, nearly the same color as the eyes, were pressed up against her face. She knew who the hair belonged to, of course. The same person as it had the previous morning, and the morning before that. They'd been sleeping together for months. Since the races had ended.

Her arm, ashen white, was draped over the other woman, who's pale skin was still much more lush and lifelike than her own. This didn't upset her, precisely. It was simply a fact of who and what she was. She would should as soon be upset over the color of sunlight, or the color of the grass. The color was one of the things that made her distinct, along with her golden eyes and pale blonde hair. If she had lush skin, green eyes and golden hair, why she'd be indistinguishable from the other one, or from the girl she was still holding in her arms.

"Umu." Not a word, just a sound, but it was the sound that heralded the golden-haired woman's awakening. The paler girl stayed silent, willing for her partner to make the first overtures. The other woman shook a bit as she stretched, their naked bodies pressing together. Her breasts pressed into the woman's back. They'd had sex, of course. They nearly always did. Even when they didn't they slept nude. The golden-haired woman preferred it that way, while she herself didn't really care. Her previous partner had preferred fancy nightclothes, and she had assented to that as well.

The golden-haired woman twisted around, her emerald green eyes meeting golden yellow. Her face, well, her face was quite familiar. To say that the two women had the same face would not be incorrect. The color of their skin, eyes and hair were different, but the faces themselves? Nearly identical. And yet they weren't related, at least not in any way recognizable to genealogists or physicians. Though they were similar, in many ways. Perhaps that is why they were like this now. Perhaps she could only be with people like that. Her previous partner too, had had this face. And had been similar in other ways as well. She preferred this woman, however. A hand came up and touched her face. It was warm and soft. Green eyes closed as the mouth below them split into a wide grin. "Good morning, Alter my love."

"I suppose so." Her response was non-committal, of course. The golden woman was always one for pleasantries, while she herself was not.

"Well, its most clearly morning, so you must be unsure about my love?" She sounded hurt, but in a playful way. She'd gotten used to that, that this woman was like that.

"Is it? Am I truly your love?" For once she asked it. She'd wanted to, many mornings, but never had. Was she scared? Of course not! She would never be scared! But she'd pushed it off, until now. Why now?

The green eyes widened slightly, she hadn't expected that response. She pushed herself up in the bed they shared, the silken sheets sliding down, baring her breasts. Alter looked at them, larger than her own, of course. Not huge by the standards of this place, but not small either. They were a very satisfying size, she enjoyed them during their nightly romps. She liked looking at them as well. Though she was happy with the ones she had on her own body as well. "Do you doubt my love?" The voice, so different from her own and that of the ones like her. Higher pitched, yet regal. Capable of the softest intimacies and the harshest rebukes.

"I am not your only love." The paler woman pushed herself up as well. They sat on the bed, both bared to the waist. Eyes gold and emerald meeting. "There is one you are waiting for, when they come you will-" a delicate finger touched pale lips.

"I do have other loves, of course." The finger stayed on the paler woman's mouth. "The Empire of Rome, of course. My first and truest love." She cocked her head a bit. "Umu. Of course, that is not what you mean. I apologize." She took the finger from Alter's lips, then pressed it to her own. "A morning kiss, no?" She smiled. "I, if I may sound immodest," Alter cracked a small smile that; Nero, immodest? Never! Nero saw the smile and her eyes lit up. "My capacity for love is immense, as wide as the empire was long, as deep as the ocean itself. I do love you, my dear Alter. But yes, there are others."

"I have memories, of other places. Places that are unlike this. Not just of the Empire, of Rome itself, of course." Nero looked up towards the ceiling. "On the moon, perhaps." Her eyes met Alter's once more, "there I met my Praetor, my master. She was, she is, very unlike our master here." A smiling girl with fire-red hair came to both their minds. "Serious, with long dark hair, she has a brilliant smile, but one caught only in glimpses, fragments here and there. We fought side by side, in that city on the moon. Conquering it for ourselves. It was hard, it seemed our cause was lost, but then I brought victory to my Praetor, when I donned my most glorious or raiment's and raised my strongest sword, in the name of Venus, goddess of love." Nero stretched her arm up into the air as she finished her proclamation.

Nero crawled across the bed and placed herself in Alter's lap, wrapping her legs around the pale woman's waist. Alter laid her head on Nero's chest, and hugged her in response. "I do miss my Praetor, I with that I may be with her again. However, I love you too. We achieved victory in the races, together. When my Praetor returns, I want you to be with us. Her heart is even more magnanimous than mine. Why, she even accepted the silly fox! Umu!" Nero shook her head as if she couldn't understand. "Personally, I think you are way better than that fox!" Nero leaned down and kissed Alter. The two fell to the side, their hands moving across each other's bodies, finding the spots they knew so well.

A sudden banging on the door to their room interrupted their fun. "Nero, Alter!" The door opened, briefly revealing a bespectacled girl with pink hair, but slammed shut a moment later when she realized what was going on. "M-Master called for you." Her voice stammered a bit. "She said to wear the swimsuits!" With that declaration footsteps could be heard beating a quick retreat as Shielder took off down the hallway.

"Umu. That girl is so uptight." Nero shook her head. "Anyway, Master has called, we shouldn't keep her waiting. Jumping out of bed Nero gathered up the red and white swimsuit she wore and tossed the black and white maid-styled one onto the bed.

As Alter dressed herself, she thought about what Nero told her. She wondered if she'd like this 'Praetor', and if Nero really would continue to love her if she returned. Watching Nero settle the halter-top around her breasts, Alter realized that she'd never said something important. Walking over to Nero, who's platform sandals put her at the same height as Alter in bare feet, Alter hugged her from behind. "Thank you, for loving me." If Nero could have seen her face, she would have almost certainly laughed at how red the normally ashen woman was. "I love you too." She did. She didn't know if she ever had loved before. Not in any of her memories, or with her previous partner. The other "Alter". That had been pure physicality.

Nero, however. Nero was different. She soothed the anger. The anger had been the core of her being, all her memories were filled with it. Born from anger, existing in anger, dying in anger. Nero seemed immune to it, it washed around her. Many people feared Alter, others found her uncomfortable, off-putting to be with. Nero had called out to her that day. On a whim. A similar whim led Alter to accept, to join the race with this overly excitable woman. Their team, _Tyrant Shooting Star_ , a name she herself had suggested. They'd won. And now they were here.

"Are you done?" Another voice, coming from the door. A girl in a white uniform with red hair down to her shoulders. On the back of her hand the marks of a command seal. "I don't know what you two did to poor Mash, but she came in stammering about how it wasn't a good time and you were too busy to come right now."

Alter realized she was still hugging Nero from behind, she let go, almost jumping back. But then Nero grabbed her around the waist. "Oh, we were just having a heart-to-heart, as lovers do. We needed to clear up a few things umu." Alter knew she was blushing again and she absolutely did not need Master seeing that. "Also, if Mash is going to have that reaction just by seeing some boobs, you really need to give her a few lessons on how things work around here."

"Mash is fine as long as its my boobs, I'll have you know." A sudden squeak emerged from just beyond the doorjamb. "She was just embarrassed that she intruded on your private time."

"Senpai!" A plaintive wail from the now thoroughly embarrassed pink-haired girl. The red-haired girl looked off to her side and smiled warmly and reassuringly.

"Anyway, if you two are quite done, we have some missions to do." She turned and walked away, Mash scurrying after her. Nero reached out and grabbed Alter's hand.

"Well, we shouldn't keep our Master waiting, umu!"


End file.
